


let me hear your song

by hima (sigklug)



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Multi, among other things..., anyways grandpa gay and that's it, appreciate my bullshit tags!, rated T for mild swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 10:57:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18809665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sigklug/pseuds/hima
Summary: craig decides to talk to his old best friend, and everyone else will not stop at trying to get them back together.(heavily based off of a comic by @amyliobat on twitter)





	1. the promise we made that day

**Author's Note:**

> like what’s said in the summary, this is heavily based off an existing comic! read it here : https://twitter.com/i/moments/1013330296203120640

a certain old man sits down eating crabby cakes and wasting his days away.

 

he really didn’t have much else to do.

 

craig cuttlefish, an old war veteran, didn’t really feel the threat of war nowadays. inkopolis was in peace, and the octarians have come to live as one with inkling society. they’ve been exchanging cultures and languages, even fashion statements of every kind. the days of the olden great turf war were no more.

 

and so were the days before the great turf war.

 

craig found himself missing his ye olde adventuring songwriter days. the moment he met a certain takowasa was such an important moment to him. he was just disappointed that it wasn’t to his friend. all because they ended up becoming enemies in the great turf war- craig was understanding, however. not very nice having to fight your only friend, ever, as leaders in one of the greatest wars in history.

  
  


“i wonder if i could still whip up a song and give one to him…”

 

craig stroked his cuttlebeard.

 

“well, won’t know if i don’t try!”

  
  


he found some old, slightly yellowing blank musical sheets and began to work. he still remembered all his songwriting basics, and he did it really well- besides, do you think his grandnieces could pay for a songwriter with that tight budget they had back in the day? it was him who wrote city of color, thank you very much. he was still a master of the notes; not very much a master of the vocals anymore, however.

 

craig sat for a moment to look at what he had conjured up. it was his old feelings from missing octavio all written down in the form of a song. the soulful melody that’s a mix of their songs from the old times- it kind of brought a tear to the old man’s eye. he really wanted them to reform their old band. it’s kind of painful to know that the kind and icy-cold but soft octavio turned out to be a cruel dictator. he wondered that, maybe, if he stayed, maybe things wouldn’t be this way.

 

craig stopped the self-pity and straightened up his back (before it cracked, at least.)

 

he had to rekindle his friendship with the old octarian, whether he liked it or not.

 

* * *

 

octavio was just sitting inside that snowglobe in silence.

 

he saw craig approaching his depressing little snowglobe. needless to say, he was not happy.

  
  


“why are you here, craig.”

 

craig sat down in front of the snowglobe.

 

“i’m here to show you this.”

 

he held up the song for octavio to see.

 

“you can still read notes, right?”

 

octavio longingly looked at the sheet.

 

he almost looked a little happy. 

 

“are you asking for a truce?” of course. he still thinks about war.

 

craig shook his head.

 

“no. i’m asking us to be friends again.”

 

octavio just sat grumpily in the snowglobe while rereading the sheet again and again.

 

“not in a million years. now get out.”

 

craig hung his head low.

 

“what happened to all the songwriting misadventures, tavi?”

 

“don’t… call me that, craig.

 

we both know very well what happened.”

 

craig just sighed in defeat.

 

he opened up the snowglobe a little to slip the paper in.

 

“if you change your mind, play me this song.

 

i’ll come to you, like how i heard your song that day.”

 

octavio turned around and said nothing.

  
  


maybe one day, they’ll agree with each other again. the old man just has to have hope in his heart, like his old self that day. he knows octavio will open up his heart to him again. he just needs a little push. craig went back to snacking on his crabby cakes and just took in the view of octo canyon. octarian landscapes really are something else, huh. octo valley was especially beautiful; he remembered the sight of octavio behind that backdrop. oh, what a marvelous memory.

 

he recalls a bunch of other memories. like that one time he almost fell into a lake and died- or that one time he had to blast a whole stingray into a maws salmonid. or that one time tavi watched him snack on a ton of crabby cakes, and how tavi loves to put wasabi in his food items; small, but significant little memories. such were the days of before the war came around. it was a much simpler time then. 

 

craig quietly wished that tavi would talk to him again.

 

oh, would the heavens hear an old man’s simple wish?

 

maybe a certain two angels will hear it.


	2. reminisce of an old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this is different from the comic its cause i was just improvising the whole time and forgot some details. oops

‘tis an old tale, dating back to when a poor squid was taken advantage of by a scheming octarian. however, his plan was not all in bad blood, for he had taken a shine to the girl; all because she reminded him of an old friend. the smile, the hair, the eyes- much to octavio’s horror, she was so much similar to the young craig cuttlefish.

 

callie, after being declined from a hangout with marie because of work, had no idea who to turn to anymore. she decided to run away to octo valley, a particular favourite spot of hers due to the beautiful scenery. octavio was also there, but she never really spoke to him on her visits to the area. he was just there, kinda blending in into the scenery.

  
  


remember when i said that she never spoke to him?

 

well, that all changed today.

 

callie sniffled as she wallows in her loneliness.

 

octavio watches the girl. she reminded him of how craig would cry whenever he had to go do his job.

 

“um…”

 

octavio had no idea why he wanted to talk.

 

maybe it’s because she looked so pitiful and lonely.

 

callie sprang up in alarm.

 

“o-octavio!? i… um…”

 

octavio gestured his tentacles downwards.

 

she stood in silence for a few seconds, still surprised.

 

when callie realized that the octopus had no harmful intent, she quickly sat down again.

 

“so… girl. why are you all alone out here again?”

 

callie scratched her head.

 

“aren’t you usually mean, ‘tavio? why do you feel sorry for me now?

 

also, i’m NOT always alone out here.”

 

“i- um… you reminded me of an old friend, is all.”

 

callie made a sarcastic quip (inspired by marie).

 

“wow, didn’t know you’re actually nice.”

 

“why, i’m one of the nicest octarians ever.”

 

callie laughed a bit.

 

“so… uhm… if ya really want to know…

i just kinda realized i don’t have much friends anymore.

 

marie’s all busy, and i can’t make normal friends ‘cus i’m a celeb. it’s a really lonely life…”

 

octavio didn’t expect her to share  _ that _ much. he guessed that she was just much more vulnerable when sad.

 

“well, girl, having a high position in life can become excruciatingly lonely. i, for one, have lost friends because of my royal status.”

 

“woah, really?”

 

“yes.”

 

callie scratched her head, again.

 

“...it’s callie, by the way, old man. you can call me ‘cal’ though!”

 

octavio unfurrowed his ‘brows for once.

 

“octavio. no nicknames.”

 

“i heard gramps call you ‘tavi’ once though.”

 

_ oh, damn you, craig _ .

 

“oh, you heard nothing.”

 

“ooohh… i smell an old friendship here…”

 

“there. is. NOTHING. of the sort.”

 

“is gramps the old friend you mentioned earlierrrr…? people do say me ‘n marie resembled him in his early days.”

 

“...”

 

octavio just sat in the icy cold silence. 

 

callie, meanwhile, awkwardly plays with her long tentacles.

 

then she suddenly perks up.

 

“can you tell me a story about the two of you, tavi? y’know, like gramps does?”

 

“do not call me that.”

 

callie made a “pleaaaaase” expression. kinda like puppy dog eyes.

 

octavio sighed. he really could not resist the pure innocence of the cuttlefishes. 

 

“fine, but listen closely.   
  


for this is a tale you don’t want to forget.”

 

* * *

 

one night, in the vast hills and cliffs of octo valley, there was a young adventurer looking for his next song (but he is, really, not that young. maybe about 25). everything gave this young man inspiration. the vast starry skies and the clear blue sea were all ingredients for a new song. he scribbled in some notes in his little notebook, after having taken in the sights of the gorgeous valley.

 

he was in his own little singsong world, until… a song cut through the vast chilly air. it was a heavenly melody, one almost resembling the iconic inkantation from the songwriter’s own land. only, it had a much more different touch to it- it was like the same song, but interpreted into a different culture. the soulful sound of the strings echoed through the songwriter’s ears- and he, for one, was intrigued by the sound, so he went to find the source.

  
  


he kind of tripped on a branch on the way there.

 

“owch… my poor cuttlebones…”

 

but he put on a big smile and kept walking.

 

“gotta find that beautiful melody!”

  
  


after walking for awhile, a big palace towered over him. the aesthetic of it was quite… old. kind of something you’d see in a human’s history book. the adventurer decided that no wall is ever too big for him, and climbed over it. he snuck through the vast palace until he got to the source of the sound-  a lone octarian in the middle of a beautiful traditional-style garden.

  
  


the adventurer greets the octarian.

 

“ahoy there!”

 

the octarian sprang up in surprise, and pointed an octobrush at him.

 

“back off!”

 

“ah-!?

 

the inkling tried to calm him down.

 

“shhh! i’m not an enemy!”

 

the octarian loosed his guard after hearing that.

 

he looked at him in disapproval.

 

“how did you get past security?”

 

the inkling laughed.

 

“i snuck in!”

 

being so frustrated, he just facepalmed.

 

“so, what do you want?”

 

“i’m here for that gorgeous melody of yours.”

 

the octarian sat down again. he gestured to the songwriter to do the same.

 

“you mean… this?”

 

he began to play it again.

 

“yes, that’s it! i love that!”

 

the octarian sighed.

 

“why would my song interest a… ragtag little runt like you?”

 

the inkling’s face lit up.

 

“ah! i’m a songwriter! and when i heard such a beautiful song, i couldn’t help but follow it.”

 

he shoved his notebook into the octarians face. 

 

the octarian gestured to him to move it a bit farther.

 

“this…”

 

he picked up the notebook and read the adventurer’s songs.

 

“... is not bad, traveler.”

 

the songwriter smiled. 

 

“thank you! i’m craig cuttlefish, sea-faring songwriter of the cosmos!”

 

“first, we can’t swim, and second, do you want to be in space or on a boat!?”

 

but despite the bad self-title, the octarian flashed a little smile anyway.

 

“i’m octavio takowasa, prince of octo valley.”

 

“you’re a prince!?

 

well, who cares if you’re a prince…”

 

cuttlefish grabbed octavio’s hand and stood up.

 

“...let’s start a band!”

 

* * *

 

“...and that… was the start of a heartfelt friendship.”

 

callie, listening intently, clapped.

 

“absolutely BEAUTIFUL. snatched my weave 10/10.”

 

octavio had no idea what millennial lingo was anymore.

 

“...what happened to you two, though?”

 

octavio simply stayed silent.

 

“...oh, riiiight, war…”

 

callie saw the sadness on the big dj boss’s face.

 

she clapped her hands together.

 

“… why don’t WE start a band!?”

 

octavio jumped.  _ that came out of left field _ , he thought.

 

“... are you sure it’s a good idea to start a band with your mortal enemy?”

 

“well… if you and gramps were friends, then we’re friends too!”

 

octavio really didn’t know how to respond to such an innocent-minded remark.

 

“i… but i tried to kill you? and you overrode my concert?”

 

“pffft, that’s past stuff. didn’t you and gramps almost kill each other anyway?

 

octavio really had no words.

 

“...come back again tomorrow. i’ll have an answer for you by then.”

 

callie hugged the snowglobe.

 

“woot! i have another grandpa! you’re grandpa’s old boyfriend, anyway.”

 

“grandpa’s WHAT!?”


	3. the calm before the storm

two squids sit in the iconic shellendorf cafe.

 

one speaks.

 

“...and that, marie, is why we gotta get them back together.”

 

and the other, completely baffled. 

  
  


callie and marie were sitting in shellendorf after the sleepy one was called by the cheerful one. marie, black hoodie on, also black pants, and punk blacks. callie, in a super loose sweater, draping all the way that her tank top strap could be seen. both drinking sickeningly sweet coffee. there’s usually no people at this time of the day, so they ditched the disguise thing.

 

they talked about the whole “gramps was actually our so-called mortal enemy’s bandmate and we gotta do something” thing. now, marie’s trying her best to take it all in, because boy there’s a lot of info to process at once.

  
  


marie had two things on her mind: first, her grandpa was friends with their supposed  _ mortal enemy _ , and second, it turns out callie was actually  _ good friends  _ with octavio…

 

“so you’re telling me…”

 

callie listened.

 

“mmm.”

 

“... that you’re friends with octavio…”

 

“uh huh.”

 

“...and that he told you all that?”

 

“yep.”

 

marie really didn’t want to hear it.

 

“i don’t believe you.”

 

callie puffed her cheeks up.

 

“awww! you don’t believe anything i tell you! why don’t you ask both of them yourself!?”

 

marie just shook her head.

 

she was horrified, really, to learn that her cousin’s super-friendliness was taken advantage of by that bastard dj.

 

they were friends and he brainwashed her. she really wished it was another story.

 

but marie decided to just trust in callie. she’d never lie about something so… drastic.

 

“alright, fine, i believe you, but how do we get them to talk?”

 

callie rubbed her palms together.

 

“hehehe… i’ve got JUST the plan for that.”

 

marie sighed.

 

“aight. let’s hear it, cal.”

 

“so, did you see that little paper next to octavio in his snowglobe?”

 

marie nodded.

 

“yep. thought it was just some random trash. what is it?”

 

“apparently, it’s a song by gramps. i snuck a little peek at it and it’s signed by him.”

 

marie was a bit shocked, but not surprised.

 

“ah, right. gramps was always the songwriter type.”

 

“i was thinking that we get octavio to play the song! maybe it’ll do… something.”

 

marie has just lost all sense of reality at this point.

 

“...how.”

 

“how?”

 

“...do we even convince him?”

 

callie’s face darkened a bit.

 

“ah… can you… do that? for me?”

 

marie understood immediately that the poor squid didn’t want to talk to the friend that just brainwashed her.

 

_ it’s probably a bad memory for poor cal, _ she thought.

 

“fine. but don’t be mad if it goes wrong.”

 

callie stood up and hugged her cousin.

 

“... thanks a lot, cous. you’re the bestest friend, like, ever.”

 

marie returned the hug and sighed softly.

 

“don’t worry. this is for gramps too, anyway.”

 

callie pulled away from the hug a few moments after.

 

“... also, thanks for hearing me out, too. you’re the only one who actually believed me…”

 

“so rin didn’t hear ya out? or agent 3?”

 

“rin..? oh, agent 3 doesn’t… really… i don’t know, she’s just unapproachable...”

 

_ oops _ , marie remembers that not a lot of people knew agent 4’s actual name.

 

and yep,  _ three can be a tad bit too icy cold sometimes _ .

 

“ah… agent 4. and, well, yeah, that’s true.”

 

“ohhh, she was busy.”

 

“...oh.”

 

marie thought that she was proooobably the one keeping rin busy.

 

“alright, so when are we setting this plan into motion?”

 

“anytime you want to start, marie!”

  
  


callie and marie did a weird hand motion, kind of like a bunch of consecutive sort-of-handshakes and fistbumps, with the last fistbump having a “pssshhhh” sound at the end. they both stood up, waved each other goodbye, and went their separate ways. callie going back for a job, and marie, being completely free for today, decided to just get started with the plan.

 

but… she wasn’t so sure on what to say. so, like what any cephalopod would do, she consults her girlfriend, the one and only, and aforementioned, agent 4. or rin, her actual name. marie makes her way to that hot-as-hell apartment complex rin lives in with her brother- maybe if it wasn’t directly in the sun’s face, it wouldn’t be so hot there. she also heard that small-time band practicing again. they’re small, but have a lot of heart. marie’s a personal fan. _ i mean, could be the next chirpy chirps, so why not? _

 

since their apartment wasn’t a fancy condominium like hers and callie’s, there’s no elevator, just a bunch of stairs. if there’s anything marie hates, it’s shit tons of stairs. the poor grandma’s legs are going to ache so bad by the time she gets all the way up there. after climbing a bunch of stairs (constant complaining included), she finally made it.

  
  


“ah, fuck, can rin move outta here already…”

 

she rings the doorbell.

 

no response.

 

“what.”

 

marie rings it again.

 

a muffled “just a minuuuute!” comes out from behind the door.

 

“ah.”

 

marie decides to lean on the wall next to the door, then sits down after deciding she’s tired of standing for 10 seconds.

 

after a bunch of waiting, rin opens the door and pops out of the apartment, wearing a huge shirt and some shorts.

 

also, her hair’s kind of wet.

 

“what were ya doin’ in there?”

 

“...shoooowering. and sleeping before that.”

 

“...oh. haha.”

 

rin scratched her head.

 

“c’mon, you don’t have to be so stiff with me…”

 

marie pouted in response. rin giggles.

 

“c’mon, what are you waiting for? come on in!

 

oh, and gimme a kiss, will you~”

 

marie smiles that genuine smile only rin gets to see. she kisses rin on the cheek and comes in.

  
  


the familiar old apartment rin lives in. marie’s been here a great deal of times ever since they became a thing. messy, yet has a semblance of neatness. sofa, armchair , tv, that one squidtendo switch in the corner, and a little potted plant. two rooms- one for rin and one for the brother. it’s small yet really comfy.

  
  


“so, why are you here today, miss green?”

 

marie slouches down on the sofa, while rin sits in the armchair.

 

“mmm. kinda need some help with this thing.”

 

rin listens, a bit intrigued.

 

“ya see, callie actually made friends with octavio. she wasn’t brainwashed out of pure spite.”

 

“...oh!?”

 

rin moves the chair closer.

 

“...and now, she found out gramps was close friends with him, and she wants them to be friends again.”

 

rin placed her hand on her chin.

 

“...ooohhh. and then?”

 

“...gramps made a song for octavio-”

 

“oooohhh that’s preeeeetty gay.”

 

marie chuckled.

 

“-and i have to convince him to play it, somehow. i don’t know how, or  _ what _ he’ll even play the song on, or if he’ll even acce-”

 

rin shushes marie.

 

“shhhh. that’s why you went here, right? you wanna ask me about it.”

 

“...yeah.”

 

rin crosses her arms.

 

“okay, um, do you wanna approach him softly or angrily…?”

 

“somewhere in between, maybe. ‘m still mad at him for brainwashing callie, after all.”

 

“...mmm, try talking to him where it hits hard…?”

 

marie looked a little confused.

 

“no idea what that means but thank ya anyway miss b.”

 

“NO wait! i mean, talk to him about something, anything, then ask him about  _ those _ times… maybe.”

 

rin sighs and slides down the chair.

 

“awww man, sorry marie, i’ve got nothing... i’m reaaaally bad at advicing…”

 

marie seemed to have thought of something after hearing that, though.

 

“no no no, ya did great, rin. your suggestion actually gave me an idea.”

 

“oh…! i’m glad to be of help!”

 

marie gets up and and hugs the girl.

 

“... love ya, you’re the best.”

 

“...o-ohh. hehehe.”

 

marie pulls away and clears her throat. the narrator is blind, so she can’t really see if marie is blushing.

 

“u-um, i gotta do it now though, since it’s getting late, and i’m free for only today, so…”

 

rin stands up and smiles.

 

“don’t worry, it’s fine! you can come here another day.”

 

marie stands up and she smiles at the light of her life.

 

“thanks.”

 

rin suddenly moves to the fridge.

 

“oh right! i got a pizza for lunch earlier, but i couldn’t finish it. you can have it! especially since you might not be able to have dinner with all the octavio stuff.”

 

marie pinches rin’s cheeks.

 

“awww, thanks, rin.”

 

“h-hey! you gotta leave! stoppp!”

  
  


marie finally stops and waves goodbye to rin. she leaves the apartment and makes her way back to the ground floor. she also eats the pizza while walking to octo canyon. 

 

finally, the moment of truth has come.

 

will the two finally reconcile?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY IM SO SORRY WE’LL GET BACK TO PLOT SOON PROMISE i just wanted to give at least a slight continuation to those people who read my last work 😜


	4. just a little push

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact while writing this i thought i would only last up until 4 chapters but i did NOT. squid sisters too fun to write sorry

marie decided she didn’t want to walk so she took an uber instead. after driving such a short distance, she made her way to the manhole next to the lobby in the square. she dove and gulped, preparing for the worst. the manhole, contrary to popular belief, isn’t like a fun slide at all- it just kind of spits you out. it’s just like a portal, after all. 

 

she was never here during the evening, but oh boy was the lighting so nice. she had sto stop for a moment just to look at it. the little string lights they put up and the small lighting from the tv and the shack was very soft. it felt like some sort of vacation area. marie took a mental note to take a nap here later.

  
  


after taking the surroundings in, marie made her way to the octopus of the hour.

 

she gulped.

 

octavio saw that someone was approaching and spoke.

 

“what do you want, cuttlefish?”

 

“... uhhhh…”

 

marie was going to interject with an “i’m not gramps” until she realized all of them were cuttlefishes.

 

she figured that this was the point to start a conversation, so she spoke.   
  
“... hey, what’s your taste in dudes?”   
  
octavio jumped and almost broke the snowglobe’s glass.

 

“excuse ME!?”

 

“ya heard me. you got a taste in men or nah?”   
  
octavio shook his head.

 

“why are you interested? aren’t you a lesbian?”

 

“yeah, but i wanna know if you like twinks or nah.”

 

octavio was completely baffled. what did this old grandma want from him!?

 

“my taste in men is none of your business.”

 

marie smirked.

 

“oh, so you like men. called it.”

 

octavio looks like he’s about to smash the glass in front of him.

 

“i-!”

 

marie chuckled a bit.

 

“yo, it’s fine, my grandpa’s gay too. figured you guys got a thing for each other.”

 

octavio sank down after realizing his “best friend feelings” were, in fact, not best friend feelings.  _ guess i DO like him, huh… i cannot believe this.... _

 

“...maybe you’re right, grandma. maybe i do have a ‘thing’ for your grandpa. and what interest do you have in it?”

 

marie sat down cross-legged in front of the globe.

 

she yawned a little and began to finally talk about the “thing”.

 

“first of all… i am not a grandma, old man. and second…”

 

octavio held his breath-  _ please don’t tell me more people know about my stupid history with craig. _

 

“... cal told me aaaaall about it. kinda made me wish i was around to see that.”

 

octavio swore that his patience was being tested by the gods. 

 

first, more and more people are starting to know about a history he tried to cover up, and second,  _ now craig’s granddaughters (nieces? grand-grand daughters?) are trying to hook me up with him! _

 

“look, i don’t want to talk to him ever again, okay. it’s too risky.”

 

marie hung her head.

 

“... too risky to lose him again, huh.”

 

he also swore that marie is too good at reading him.

 

“...”

 

“look, i’ve been there before. 

 

i was afraid that if i talked to cal, some truth would come out that she befriended you ‘cause she was tired of me, and she’d run away again. 

 

turns out she still cares about me. i was relieved.”

 

octavio listens silently.

 

“... point is, if you don’t take that leap, nothing’s gonna happen.”

  
  


marie really hoped she was talking at least some encouragement into octavio.  _ you can do it, old man _ .

 

“you have a point but… what am i supposed to do?”

 

marie never thought she’d be encouraging octavio but here she is.

 

“first of all, why don’t you play that old little thing?”

 

octavio picked up the sheet of paper lovingly signed by craig.

 

“this…”

 

marie did a half-smile.

 

“ya see, the fact that you never threw that thing away…”

 

octavio comes to a realization.

 

“... means that i still care about craig. huh.”

 

“da-ding. ya got it right, ‘tavio.”

  
  


all those times flashed in octavio’s mind. the special kind of relationship they had developed over those 5 years came back to him all at once. craig’s smile, his tiny little goatee, and the melodious sound of his voice singing along with his heavenly strings. the way he just randomly dropped into his life and brightened it up significantly. the way they confided in each other about the littlest things. these were things octavio was sure he wanted back.

  
  


while octavio was being melancholic, marie had pulled out an instrument from the old cuttlefish cabin.

 

“here. figured this might be yours.”

 

octavio’s face lit up.

 

“my old koto…”

 

“yep. complete with an ‘octavio’ carved into the side all messy and angular.”

 

octavio swore he was tearing up a little. he kinda wished he wasn’t, because my word is it embarrassing to cry in front of your old best friend’s granddaughter.

 

“but, erm…”

 

“what?”

 

“how tha hell are we gonna get this in there?”

 

she  _ was  _ right; there was virtually no space left in the snowglobe due to octavio’s size.

 

“guess i… have no choice.”

 

marie had no idea whether she could trust octav-

 

“wait!”

 

marie turned around to see…

 

callie.

 

“c-cal!? how long have ya been there!?”

 

callie meekly responded.

 

“since… the part where you asked octavio if he was gay.”

 

“ah.”

 

_ she… heard… me… _

 

“did you…”

 

“yeah.”

 

callie went to sit down next to marie.

 

“i’m sorry my disappearance worried you so much, marie…”

 

marie awkwardly responds.

 

“i-it’s nothing… it’s just me overthinking shit again… ya know, typical marie…”

 

octavio silently watches the both of them.

 

callie can see the sadness in marie’s eyes again.

 

_ maybe a hug would work. _

 

“do you… want a hug, marie?”

 

marie nodded softly and pouted.

 

“pfffft. you’re pouting again!”

 

they go into a hug and pat each other on the back.

 

then, they go back to the issue: octavio.

 

“hey… big guy.”

 

“callie.”

 

callie was shaking.

 

_ it’s this guy again. _

 

“hey, i’m sorry… about that day. when i gave you the hypnoshades.”

 

callie listened carefully. 

 

she’s always thought octavio gave those to her on purpose.

 

she silently hoped that wasn’t the case.

 

“i had no idea that it wasn’t the broken prototype version.”

 

callie sighed in relief.

 

marie interjected.

 

“wait, if it isn’t an accident, then why… didn’t you just take them off her and send her back.”

 

octavio sighed.

 

“that’s the thing. i tried to take them from her again, but she kept putting them on again.”

 

callie laughed awkwardly.

 

“so i had no choice but to… play into the delusion.”

 

marie suddenly… chuckled a bit.

 

“pfffft. seriously, that was it? i was worried you were manipulating her.”

 

“yes. that’s it.”

 

callie, after being worried for so long, let out a loooooong sigh.

 

“oh my gooooosh. i thought you were just using me!”

 

octavio raised his head.

 

“hmph. why would i manipulate someone who looks so much like my dear friend?”

 

callie scratched her head.

 

“because you never… forgave him for leaving?”

 

octavio was… disgruntled, to say the least.

 

“i have mixed feelings, okay. but you’re a sweet girl.

 

plus, you have good charisma.”

 

callie laughed heartily.

 

marie turned to callie.

 

“well, since it’s clear he’s not going to kill us…”

 

callie nodded.

  
  


they let him out. octavio left the snowglobe and finally felt the air on his tentacles. it was… weird, after being confined for so long. freedom tasted not like how it usually felt… it felt more… soft, and genuine this time. he sat down in front of the two and held the stringed instrument. he looked at it longingly and sighed. callie and marie silently pump their fists into the air and were mouthing “go grandpa go grandpa”. when octavio noticed, he couldn’t help but chuckle at his silly, now-his-granddaughters-too. 

  
  


“alright, i’m doing this.”

 

octavio grabbed the yellowed music sheet.

 

“and… one thing before this.”

 

callie and marie’s ears perked up at the same time. (octavio wondered how the hell could they do that.)   
  


“hmmm…?” they both said.

 

“thank you for giving me that push… marie.”

 

marie stood up and and pumped her fists in the air.

 

“y’all hear that!? he called me by name y’all! a miracle, literally a goddamn miracle.”

 

callie laughed at her endearingly stupid cousin. (you thought callie was the endearingly stupid one, but gap moe is very powerful.)

 

“a’ight, mar, you silly old goose! the crowd heard you, now sit down and listen!”

 

marie sat down after she was pulled down by callie, with a little “ow” coming from marie.

 

“okay, may i…?”

 

marie nodded.

 

“you may, oh ye olde prince.”

 

octavio, callie, and marie all nodded in agreement.

 

and then… the heavenly stringed sound cut through the air and waved around the canyons.

 

even people near the grate from inkopolis heard.

 

now then, will the fated person follow this heavenly melody in the wind the same way he did back then?


	5. fated reconciliation of the two

so where was craig during all this?

 

also melancholily recalling his old days. oh, the parallels…

 

craig was in another sector of octo canyon since he loved to marvel the sights the land had to offer. he was at suction-cup lookout- with all the towering sights and a good, clear view of the night sky. was he looking for another song? nobody knows. but all we do know is that this old man is old… and lonely. and probably pining, like i said, no one knows.

  
  


but then.

 

he hears it.

 

the song cutting through the cold air.

 

“could it be…?”

 

craig swore he could die of happiness.

 

but not now, since he had to follow that sound!

  
  


being old now, he couldn’t run all that well, but he walked as fast as his legs could take him. swipping and swzapping through the tall sights of suction-cup lookout, he hummed the tune of the melody he heard through the skies. the fact that it even managed to travel so far is an absolute miracle; a miracle that’ll bring the two together again.

 

he finally made it to the launchpad and super jumped all the way back to tentakeel outpost. craig’s hearts were thumping. that might be bad news for an old man, but it’s okay with craig. besides, finally, octavio answered his call. he wasn’t sure who gave him the push, or why he suddenly decided to play his old, sweet melody. but the details can be talked about later; it’s the action of it that matters.

  
  


he walked slowly towards the scene.

 

and through the arch.

 

until he saw….

 

he saw such a breathtaking scene.

 

his granddaughters jamming with the love of his life. 

 

they did, however, go silent when they saw him.

 

the melody kept going, though.

 

“tavi…”

 

maybe you can’t see it ‘cause of the beard, but craig’s flashing a big smile right now.

 

octavio sighed and gave the most genuine expression anyone’s ever seen him give.

 

“thought you’d never come, cap’n.”

 

craig thought he’d never hear his stage name ever again.

 

he raised his bamboozler cane in the air.

 

“you ready to jam, prince?”

 

octavio smirked.

 

“i’m more than ready, cap’n.”

 

he may not be all that good at singing anymore, but would he really be the granddad of the one and only squid sisters if he couldn’t at least deliver a solid performance?

 

callie and marie, meanwhile, were intently listening to their new gay granddads.

 

“damn, didn’t know gramps could hit it so  _ hard _ .”

 

callie nodded furiously in agreement.

 

“i know right!?”

 

marie stroked her chin in deep thought.

 

“who knew octavio could have such a loving expression, though…”

 

and she was right.

 

it’s almost a damn shame that not everyone gets to see soft octavio.

 

the two old men dance around as they finally realize their feelings.

 

it’s never too late for love, is it?

  
  


the sound of a song long forgotten echoes through inkopolis square, and inkling society breaks away from trendy songs just for once to listen to the beautiful requiem that the duo had for everyone. it would be a sound that everyone wouldn’t forget for ages. the old man’s endearingly creaky voice and the beautiful sound of strings; ‘twas truly a reunion for the world to see.

  
  


the melody slowly comes to a halt as craig sings the last line softly.

 

“we haven’t done that in  _ ages _ , craig.”

 

craig laughs heartily.

 

“we should do it more often, tavi.”

 

octavio scratched his head.

 

“we really should.”

 

craig eyes octavio and looks at him for a while; perhaps, lovingly.

 

“you seem like you want to say something, octavio.”

 

octavio takes a deep sigh and nods lightly.

 

“i want to apologize, craig. for ignoring you this whole time just because of some stupid war.”

 

craig pats octavio on one of his… tentacle shoulders.

 

“it’s okay, tavi. emotions are a fickle thing.”

 

they both tear up a little at finally being able to release the repressed emotions they’ve had over the years.

 

octavio got himself together after a few moments.

 

“i should probably… be in a form more appropriate for this.”

 

craig’s ears perked up. ( _ is that a cuttlefish thing?) _

 

and then i saw it. you saw it. craig saw it. callie and marie saw it.

 

it was octavio, in his humanoid form, also all old just like craig.

 

“OHHH MY GOOO-”

 

marie tried her best to shush callie. fortunately, it worked.

 

long tentacles, traditional samurai clothing. it’s just like that one sunken scroll, but he’s older. way older.

 

craig smiled under his beard.

 

“you’re still in great shape!”

 

octavio laughed awkwardly… but also happily.

 

“you’re not too bad yourself, craig.”

 

“oh, but my cuttlebones are all jittery now… you’re still standing up straight!”

 

they share a good laugh together, after all the emotional bullshit they’ve been through together.

 

“craig… you want a…”

 

craig listened carefully.

 

“a…?”

 

“PFFFFFF-”

 

also, marie’s trying her best not to laugh at how awkward and shy octavio is. callie shut her up this time.

 

“a… h-hug?”

 

craig nodded furiously and gladly agreed.

 

they pulled in for a hug.

 

they haven’t felt each other’s warmth in years.

 

it was such a satisfying image.

 

“you never asked for the hug first before… ha ha ha…”

 

crying old men hugging each, oh what a sight to see.

  
  


“thank you for following my song, craig.”

  
  


“and thank you for playing my song, tavi.”

  
  


craig breathed in.

  
  


“now then…”

  
  


“let’s start a band, again!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> callie and marie bought matching tshirts that say "proud of my two gay grandpas"
> 
> plugging my twitter again 😤 @bitterchocodeco


End file.
